TEFL Zorritos

Saturday, 12 December 2015

Teaching English in the Dominican Republic

As a popular tourist destination, the Dominican Republic has seen an increase in English speakers. Teachers are needed, especially in poorer towns, as inequality between the urban and rural areas increases. There are three types of English teaching jobs in the DR:

International schools

Most international schools follow an American curriculum, so typically American teachers are preferred. Primarily teachers are needed for elementary-aged children, learning beginner's English.

Volunteer work

EFL teachers are needed in low-income areas, as volunteers for primarily young students. These programs do not look solely for TEFL certification, but rather prior experience working with children and/or some knowledge of Spanish to help in the classroom. In addition, there are short-term opportunities to volunteers in summer camps, teaching not only English, but art, sports, or music for example.

Government sponsored jobs

The Ministry of Higher Education actively seeks English teachers for university-aged students at immersion schools. Many of these students have zero to little background in English language education. In addition to teaching EFL, teachers would help instruct a bit of computer literacy (i.e. basic computer competency).

When and Where to Look for Jobs

International schools are primarily located in the larger cities of Santo Domingo and Santiago. Though, volunteer programs are widespread in rural and low-income areas. These programs hire year-round.

Qualifications

Most schools and programs require some sort of teaching certification in order for instructors to teach English. However, if you are volunteering at a school or summer camp that offers arts or music classes, then you are not required to have TEFL certification.

Salary & Cost of Living

Volunteer teachers may receive a stipend of around $200-400/month, or expect around 200-400 Dominican Pesos per classroom hour (about $4-10/hour).

Aside from rent, cost of living in the Dominican Republic is quite affordable. If you eat locally, you will be able to save part of your stipend. Many people do not spend money on activities (e.g. movies, attractions), but prefer to use their free time to see friends and family. Keep in mind that imported items, such as clothing and gas, tend to be expensive.

Classroom & Work Culture

Some knowledge of Spanish might help in the classroom. Although, you may develop a slight Dominican accent! In addition, avoid speaking about Haiti. Even though conditions between the two nations have improved, it remains a touchy subject given the two countries' turbulent history and recent issues of illegal immigration (from Haiti to the D.R.).

Peak Hiring Times:year-round
Average Monthly Salary:$400-600
Average Cost of Living:$300-500
Save or Break Even?save a bit
Work Visa:Dominican Republic work visa needed for those staying in the country for over 1 year

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Friday, 11 December 2015

Teaching English in Thailand

Learn, Understand and Embrace Thai Culture

This is not just a suggestion, but a requirement by the Teacher’s Council of Thailand for anybody who wants to teach in a Thai school. Thai culture is quite different from Western culture. Knowing a thing or two about Thai culture will not only help you build rapport with your students and Thai colleagues, it will also help you minimize the risk of putting your foot in your mouth. Get informed about the monarchy, religion, customs, and general beliefs. There is a lot of information available online and the mandatory 20-hour Culture course will ensure that you have a basic understanding of Thai culture.

Lesson Planning is Extremely Important

This one is especially important for people without much experience teaching in Thailand yet. It is recommended to print out a lesson plan, including a broad layout for your planned topic, even if you are a seasoned teacher. Your Thai colleagues highly appreciate it because you appear well prepared and they can learn from your lessons at a different level. You also will make it easy for any teacher who may need to substitute for you, since they know exactly what you intended to teach your students. Your lesson plan doesn’t have to be a literary work; a few simple bullet points outlining the topic and aim of your lesson, the new vocabulary taught, and the exercises and games used to reinforce the material will do the trick.

How You Dress is Very Important in Thailand

In Thailand, people care a lot about looks and this is especially important for a teacher. Teachers are held in very high respect and not dressing appropriately will have a negative impact on that perception. Teachers that don't look professional will almost always have more trouble managing the classroom than their peers who are dressed appropriately.

Do Not Speak Thai in the Classroom

If you are in the need of explaining something and can’t do it with pictures, drawings, and realia, you most likely are teaching something too complex and above the students’ comprehension level.

Unless you’re speaking Thai perfectly, you will most likely make a fool of yourself with wrong pronunciation and perhaps even wrong usage of some words. Students will at the very least laugh at you (even if just silently) and at worst will be confused about what exactly you are trying to explain to them.

Make it FUN!

Thai students and Thai people in general like things to be fun. No matter how important the material you are teaching to Thai students, if it is not fun they will not pay attention for very long. The Thai culture is in a lot of ways about "sanook" - a Thai word that means FUN! So think of activities that will be fun for your students, while still providing the information they need to be successful for the objectives of your lesson.

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Tuesday, 8 December 2015

Teaching English in Spain

Reputable schools

There are around 6,000 private language schools in Spain, but only about 5 percent are registered. If you don’t want your salary to arrive in a “brown paper” envelope at the end of each month (if it arrives at all), do your best to ensure the school is a reputable school. Some of the people running schools don’t know anything about teaching but will place very high demands on their teachers to be everything to everyone, so it is always best to work for a registered school.

Qualifications

The days when simply being a native speaker of English was enough to get you a TEFL job are long gone. Nowadays you almost always need to be trained and qualified. Good schools in Spain will now ask for teachers to be a native speaker of English, have a university degree and possess some kind of English teaching qualification. Ideally, they will also want you to have some experience and to speak some Spanish.

Workload

Most Spanish contracts involve working 24 to 26 contact or teaching hours a week. The actual contract will, however, be for 34 hours a week. The extra time will be given over to preparation, marking, exam marking, parent meetings and training. So if you sign on to 30 hours a week, you won’t have much of a life. 25 hours is the maximum workload recommended for a new teacher.

Pay

Most good schools in Spain will offer a monthly salary of around €1,200 to €1,350 a month before tax. That’s for about 25 contact hours per week. Madrid and Barcelona are quite different. The vast majority of people in those cities are working as freelancers and getting paid an hourly wage. Many of these people will be travelling around and giving in-company classes and perhaps working for two or three different schools.

Consider jobs outside of Madrid and Barcelona

Some people who think about teaching in Spain end up in Madrid or Barcelona just because they've heard of these places. Choosing to live in a small place can have its advantages. Small schools can offer a lot more support. If you need resources, you can go straight to the source and cut out the middle man. There's also the satisfaction that comes with getting off the beaten track and immersing yourself in Spanish culture. You might find a Spain you never knew existed.

Apply early

The academic year at most of Spain's private language schools runs from late September through to the end of June the following year. But don't get caught napping. Many schools are already advertising for the 2014–2015 school year. May and June are the right time to start applying for jobs. But if you want to boost your chances, start sending out those resumes now.

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Sunday, 6 December 2015

Teaching English in Singapore

English teachers in Singapore can expect to find jobs throughout the year, as this is a wealthy nation with a high need for qualified native English speaking teachers. Interviews here are conducted well in advance, both over the phone and via e-mail. Instructors are responsible for airfare and housing expenses.

A solid hourly wage affords English teachers a comfortable lifestyle, with the possibility to save up to 500 USD per month above the cost of living. English language schools in Singapore typically offer around 20 to 25 hours of work per week, leaving plenty of time for you to take advantage of your location and explore. English teachers need to have a Bachelor’s degree to teach in Singapore, and TEFL certification is required.

English Teaching Requirements in Singapore

Education: BA/BS is required; TEFL TESOL Certification is required.
Citizenship Requirements: USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.
Typical hiring process:via phone in advance
Average teaching hours per week:20–25 hours of classroom plus extra prep time
Type of students:Business professionals, children in public schools and private language schools
Cost of living per month:2,100–2,500 USD; 3,000–3,500 SGD
Average monthly pay:2,400–3,000 USD; 3,300–4,200 SGD
Start-up cost:2,100–2,500 USD
Potential to save or break even:Save 300 - 500 USD/month
Accommodation/housing benefits paid:no, employer will assist to find
Vacation: Paid 2 weeks
Flight reimbursement:no

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Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!

Friday, 4 December 2015

Teaching English in Saudi Arabia

The highest TEFL salaries and the best benefits in the world are in Saudi Arabia. If you can handle living in such a place for a length of time you can certainly save a lot of money. The ultra-strict Muslim way of life is not particularly compatible with other belief systems and therefore many Westerners will require considerable time to adjust to what can be a stifling and rigid cultural environment.

Experience is essential and many employers require at least three years previous teaching experience. You will also need at least a Bachelor degree and a TEFL certificate.

Despite the large expat community and great salaries, life here is hard for Westerners and the rigid laws make it quite difficult to enjoy yourself in your spare time. Western women may finds things especially difficult.

Salaries range from $2,500 USD to $4,500 USD per month and even higher for certified teachers with a lot of experience. Teachers can typically expect ten weeks of vacation time plus national holidays. You can expect a 40 hour plus work week and there is nothing easy about teaching in Saudi Arabia. Your students and the school will have very high expectations and the demands on a teacher can at times be unrealistic.

Consider a move to Saudi Arabia very carefully. Can you really handle the considerable cultural restrictions for a year or more? Be sure that medical insurance, accommodations and flight allowances are included as part of your benefit package. Work permits should be arranged before you arrive in Saudi Arabia. This must be done in conjunction with your employer.

The cost of living in Saudi Arabia is high. However, the fabulous tax-free salaries mean that you ought to be able to save a good portion of your salary each month. Your salary is tax-free. You should receive your salary on a monthly basis unless otherwise stated in your contract.

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Thursday, 3 December 2015

Teaching English in Russia

There is a strong demand for English-Foreign-Language Teachers in Russia at the moment, especially in the larger cities. With the opportunity to earn on average between $500 and $2000 a month and some schools even offering reimbursed airfare after the completion of your contract, which is generally a twelve-month commitment, Russian larger cities are expensive, so unless your employer is providing accommodations, you will need to ensure your salary is on the upper end of the pay scale. The cost of living is much less expensive outside of the bigger cities, but western amenities that you may be use to, will most likely not be available.

Most jobs can be found via online job boards and it is best to arrange a job before traveling to Russia. As with any ESL teaching job be sure and do your research and make sure this is the type of job you are looking for.

If this sounds like something that you might be interested in, then you will require a Bachelors degree and a TEFL Certification. You’ll also need to get your employer to arrange a visa for you.

If you’re looking to experience the cultural and architectural highlights of Russia, then stick to the European cities, west of the Urals. However, if you’re looking to get off the beaten track to experience Russia’s great outdoors, then make sure you make time for the immeasurable spaces of Siberia and the Far East.

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Wednesday, 2 December 2015

Teaching English in Poland

If you are a native speaker of English or speak English at an advanced level, you can probably find a job teaching English in Poland. You will need to have at least a Bachelor degree and a TEFL certification to find a good teaching job in Poland.

It is possible to find jobs in Poland before traveling to Poland, and if you are not the holder of an EU passport it is best to arrange a job before departing for Poland. You will need to get a work permit in your home country at a Polish embassy or consulate and the required paperwork needs to be provided for you by your employer. This is the legal way to teach in Poland; that is not to say that people do not teach on tourist visas and resident cards, but to be safe you should get a work permit before traveling to Poland.

Some things to remember when looking for a job:

Start searching as early as possible:It's not uncommon for schools to interview and hire for fall semester starting in May or June. You can still find jobs at the last minute, but it will likely be just a few hours here and there.
Private schools will only give hours in the very early morning or from 4pm to 8pm:For many, that means teaching only 1-3 classes a day, which might not be enough to survive. Teaching children at a public school or teaching in a business (some businesses provide language lessons for their employees), is the only way you're going to get hours in the middle of the day. Also, classes on Friday are rare -- they will usually only happen if you teach children.
You may need to work at 2 or more schools:It's not uncommon that a school will only offer you a couple teaching hours, so you may need to work at several schools to get enough hours. That said there is generally more work than teachers, so you won't have any problems finding schools that need you!

Some salary and benefit facts:

Average teaching hours per week: 20-30 hours of classroom & extra prep time
Types of Students: Business professionals
Cost of Living per Month: 2,500-2,800 PLN, $ 800-900 USD
Average Monthly Pay: 2,500-2,800 PLN, $ 800-900 USD
Start-up Cost: $ 1,350-1,500 USD
Potential to Save or Break-even: Break-even
Accommodation/Housing Benefits Paid: No
Flight Reimbursement: No

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Class sizes are limited, so don't wait, make your reservation today!